The sun arrives in San Diego with the nationally touring production of ‘Annie’
The combination of "Tomorrow” and red ringlets are so iconic that most of us have an Annie memory from years past. This national tour, on its swing through San Diego, will be that memory for the throng of youth who flocked to the December 28 delayed opening at the Civic Theatre, where the production runs through January 1... Review is live now at SanDiegoStory.
Theatre Magic Moments from 2022
By Cassiopeia Guthrie, Dec. 27, 2022 Every show is special from one perspective or another. Some are sweet and lighthearted, leaving us feeling happier for having experienced them. Some use their stage as a platform for important social commentary. Some have technical components that we geek out over. But there's just something about that moment of buzzing energy when theatre magic hits just right. In honor of that buzz, rather than recapping the year's phenomenal productions
'1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas' returns to Oceanside venue
By Cassiopeia Guthrie, December 21, 2022 There's something so relatable and warm about localized theatre, and such is the case with New Village Arts' short run of 1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas. Following its full run in winter 2021, this iteration of Dea Hurston's original work has returned as a limited engagement, hitting 5 venues over 9 performance dates and closing on Dec. 24. Directed by Jacole Kitchen and created and devised by Frankie J. Alicea, Kevin "Blax"
Campy cultural fodder has its way with Diversionary's 'The Mystery of Irma Vep'
by Cassiopeia Guthrie, December 19, 2022 In the program notes for Irma Vep, dramaturg Jesse Marchese draws attention to the art of literary collage that Charles Ludlam employs. "Ludlam reveals a camp way of looking at cultural material that mainstream society has taken for granted... Gothic Romance, Victorian Melodrama, Hollywood Horror... "high" and "low" works of literature." These elements and their presentation in what co-directors Matt M. Morrow and Allison Spratt Pearce
Clever musical comedy ‘2 Pianos 4 Hands’ strikes just the right chord
A love letter and condemnation of classical musicianship at the same time, returning production 2 Pianos 4 Hands has arrived (with standing ovation) to grace the North Coast Repertory Theatre stage through January 1. Any professional musician knows that the craft is demanding, gut wrenching, passion-inspiring, and invigorating. There are tireless hours of rehearsal, repertoire building, performance analysis, and aural skill development. And, in a field where achievement is ea
Rachael VanWormer delivers a visceral performance in Lit Alive’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’
by Cassiopeia Guthrie, Dec. 7, 2022 Her grasp on reality is tenuous - or is it? Actor Rachael VanWormer toes the line and then vaults over it unapologetically in a fresh, dramatic delivery of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s seminal short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” playing through Dec. 10 at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center. The story, which is delivered in 7 scenes and directed by Veronica Murphy, shows the gradual progression of depression and delusions that plague the female char
Interview: a joyful approach to love in 'As You Like It' at La Jolla Playhouse
by Cassiopeia Guthrie, December 5, 2022 Shakespeare's pastoral comedy As you Like It has been celebrated and performed since its development by the bard in 1599. Now, its most recent iteration, a collaboration with Diversionary Theatre, is playing at La Jolla Playhouse through Dec. 11. A romantic story highlighting the connection between Rosalind and Orlando who first meet at court and then again after both are banished in the Forest of Arden, As You Like It, under the direct
San Diego-specific ‘Ebenezer Scrooge’s…’ returns to The Old Globe
Ebenezer Scrooge’s BIG San Diego Christmas Show has returned to The Old Globe to chortles and smiles. For San Diego locals who like to poke fun at themselves, this might just be the Christmas Carol to attend in its run through Dec. 24 in Balboa Park... Review live now on SanDiegoStory.
SDMT’s ‘Plaid Tidings’ checks the box for a 1950s style harmony-filled holiday
By Cassiopeia Guthrie, Dec. 5 What delivers more holiday cheer than a group of carolers and a candy cane? Expect both (and audience participation) with San Diego Musical Theatre’s newest offering Plaid Tidings, running now and through Dec. 24. The story is simple: the Plaids (a midcentury boy band first introduced in the musical Forever Plaid) have returned to Earth once again following their untimely demise-by-car-accident and time spent as “amorphic blogs of ectomorphic eph
Satire ‘It’s a Wonderful Vida’ brings telenovela and sitcom vibes to Chula Vista’s OnStage Playhouse
Radical drama abounds in OnStage Playhouse’s It’s a Wonderful Vida as the American dream goes on trial and is found guilty. Running at the Chula Vista venue through December 21, this world premiere by playwright/director Herbert Sigüenza is a witty period piece which explores the experiences of a Tejano family living in Corpus Christi circa Christmas 1957 through the application of a situational comedy lens... Review now live at SanDiegoStory.com.